Karen's Book Nook

As a Special Educator, I was looking forward to reading Born on a Blue Day: Inside the Mind of an Autistic Savant by Daniel Tammet, because I’m intrigued about what it “feels like” to be in his head and most especially, what the sensory issues are like.

About the book:

Born on a Blue Day is a journey into one of the most fascinating minds alive today — guided by the owner himself. Daniel Tammet is virtually unique among people who have severe autistic disorders in that he is capable of living a fully independent life and able to explain what is happening inside his head.

He sees numbers as shapes, colors, and textures, and he can perform extraordinary calculations in his head. He can learn to speak new languages fluently, from scratch, in a week. In 2004, he memorized and recited more than 22,000 digits of pi, setting a record. He has savant syndrome, an extremely rare condition that gives him the most unimaginable mental powers, much like those portrayed by Dustin Hoffman in the film Rain Man.

Fascinating and inspiring, Born on a Blue Day explores what it’ s like to be special and gives us an insight into what makes us all human — our minds.

My thoughts: While some parts of the book were a bit dry and drawn out (the mathematical stuff for me…) I loved reading about what it feels like from his perspective. I was encouraged to see his growth and his adaptation to the world around him despite his sensory issues and his limitations due to Asperger’s. It was great to see him forming relationships and encouraging to see such a wonderful family.  I recommend this book to anyone interested in spectrum disorders and also for those who appreciate memoirs about successful people.

Rating 4.5/5

Visual Supports for People with Autism: A Guide for Parents and Professionals by Marlene J. Cohen and Donna L. Sloan is chock full of examples of graphic organizers and tools for visual learners. People with Autism benefit greatly from picture supports and as a special educator I’m always looking for more ideas.

I’m always interested in reading and learning as much as I can about Autism. Today’s read is Making Autism a Gift: Inspiring Children to Believe in Themselves and Live Happy, Fulfilling Lives by Robert Evert Cimera. I’ve had this one for awhile and it’s my final renew so I’m bumping it up to the front of my list before I have to return it to the library.